Amusement apparatus.



M. R. C. SONNTAG.

, AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLIoATIoN funn nm; 9,1909.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

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M. R. G. SONNTAG. AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

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Patented Feb. 23, 1909. a SHEETS-snm 2.'

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. 33313 hyswoznag )Q NITED STATES PATEN T FFTQE.

MAX R. O. SONNTAG, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX R. C. SONNTAG, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel apparatus adapted to elevate cars and deliver them in position to descend by ymeans of a suitable track, and the main novelty in my invention resides in the utilization of a spirally disposed track which is inclined to the vertical, adapted to revolve on its longitudinal axis and also to simultaneously swing around a circle, whereby a peculiar and novel effect is produced in that cars that travel up the spiral track are meanwhile given also a movement round about through space. The cars enter the track at the lower point of the spiral and are delivered from the upper point of the spiral upon a suitable platform or track from whence they pass into a descending track guiding them back near their point of admission to the spiral.

My invention also comprises the novel details of improvement and combinations of parts that will be more fully hereinafter set forth-and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating my improvements, Fig. 2 is a partly sectional detail view, enlarged of the upper portion of the apparatus, Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof, Fig. f1 is a partly sectional plan view of the upper portion of the structure, partly diagrammatic, Fig. 5 is a detail plan viewof gearing for operating the spiral track, and Fig. 6 is a vertical section thereof.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 indicates, generally, a spirally disposed trackway which is shown constructed around a shaft 2 to which the track may be attached in any suitable manner. I have shown longitudinally extended braces 3 attached to the shaft and to the trackway, there being any suitable number of such braces, which form a sort of tubular inclosure for the trackway. Shaft 2 is pivotally supported at its lower end, but inclines at Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 9, 1908.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

Serial N0. 437,503.

a suitable angle to the vertical, and the trackway is so disposed that the under portions 1a will always be lower than the adjacent portions that are behind and in advance thereof, so that a suitable car 4 will always rest upon the trackway at such low point. I have shown shaft 2 at its lower` part journaled in an extension 2a that is journaled in a seat or bearing 1l. Said extension is shown provided with a gear 5 meshing with idle gears 6 journaled on said bearingt and engaging an internal gear 7 which has external underlying teeth 71 and external teeth 7 b on the upper side, and at 8 are suitably journaled rollers upon which gear 7 rests and revolves. The teeth 71L are shown meshing with and driven by a pinion 9 on a shaft 10 suitably journaled and driven by any suitable means, and `the teeth 7 b mesh with a gear 11 secured upon the shaft 2 (see Fig. 6). At the upper end of shaft 2 is a gear 12 which lies in engagement with an internal gear or rack 13 of an annular guide or support, the gears 12 and 13 being suitably beveled in accordance with the inclination of shaft 2. Rack or gear 13 is firmly supported above by any suitable framework 14:. The arrangement is such that as shaft 2 and its trackway 1 revolve around the longitudinal axis thereof, the rotation of gear 12 in connection with rack 13 will also cause the shaft and trackway to revolve about bodily, and there will always be at the lower points the portions 1a of the trackway, whereby a car in said trackway will be caused to roll up the same while also being carried bodily around through space by the bodily or substantially wabbling movement of trackway 1. The cars enter trackway'l at the low point of the latter and are delivered thereto from a suitable platform 15 over which the low point or entrance end l of trackway 1 swings.

The upper or delivery end 1c of trackway 1 passes over a platform or the like 16 supported by frame 14 to deliver the cars thereon from the trackway. (See Fig. 2.) The platform 16 communicates with one or more tracks 17 suitably supported by frame 14:, which tracks 17 may be in the nature of a roller coaster track, the lower end of which track 17 communicates with platform 15 and delivers the cars thereto. As the illusfor each axial revolution of shaft 2 the upper end 1c of spiral trackway 1a will be presented over platform 16 at eachquar- 'ter passage of the shaft around internal gear.

13, I have shown four openings 16a of platform 16, at each of which openings the' upper end of trackway 1EL will come in line to deliver a car, whereby four cars may` be.

delivered to platform 16 for each complete bodily swing or movement-ofthetrackwayV around and with respect to the internal' gear. Suitable trackways 16b respectively terminate at the openings 16a, andthe trackways 16b all merge, asat' 16C, with the track 17, whereby cars from trackway 161 will be delivered to track 17.

In the operation of my improvements the cars upon platform 15 will be delivered successively to the lower end 1b of trackway 1,

and by the revolution of the latter upon its axislthe cars will travel'along such trackway-'alwaysremaining at the low point of the corresponding spiral part, andthe upward travel of thef car` is also aided by the swinging movement of the trackway, and when the car arrives at the delivery point above platform 16 it passes from trackway l and travelsthence through trackway `or roller coaster 17 back to platform 15 for delivery to the-lower end 1b offtrackwayfl.

The peculiar rotary and simultaneousbodily pended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now described my invention what 1' claim is:

1. An amusement apparatus comprising a rotatable spirally disposedtrackway maintained atan angle to the vertical, means for causing said trackway to swing bodily around while rotating, and means to permit a car to enter the trackway at the lower portion and-means'to receive cars from the trackway at the upper portion.

2. An amusement apparatus-comprising a rotatable spirally disposed trackway maintained at an anglev to the vertical, means for Vcausing said trackway to swing bodily around while rotating, a platform adjacent the lower end of the trackway, a platform adjacent'the upper end of the trackway, and means for conveying the cars from the upper platform.

3; An'amusement apparatus comprising'a spira-lly disposed rotatable trackway maintained at an` angle to the vertical, an annular guide for controlling the upper end of the trackway, means for causing said trackwayY to travel around bodily relatively to -saidgnide while Arotating upon its longitudinal axis, and means to admit cars to the loweriportion of the trackway and to receive cars from the upper portion of the trackway.

Vet. n amusement apparatus comprising a rotatable spirally disposed trackway maintained atf an angle to the vertical, means for pivotally supporting the lower end of said trackway, an annular` rack-within which thev upper end of the trackway-support travels,

and a gear connected with the trackway in mesh with saidv annular rack fory causing bodilyl swinging movementfofi the trackwayv while it'rotates upon its longitudinal axis.

5l An amusement apparatus comprising a rotatable spirally disposed trackway maintained at an angle to the vertical, means for pivotally supporting the lower end of said trackway, an annular rackwithin which the upper end ofthe trackway support travels, a gear connectedwith the trackway'in mesh with said annular rack for causing bodily swinging movementvof the trackway while it rotatesuponits longitudinal axis, means to receive cars from the trackway, and al trackway` leading from the car-receiving means at the upper part to a point adjacent the lower portion of the spiral trackway.

6.- A11-.amusement apparatus comprisinga.

spirally disposedtrackway maintained normally at an inclination to the vertical, a pivotal support for the lower part of the trackway, a gear connected with the trackway, a-loose gear in mesh therewith, means for rotatably supporting said loose gear, meansv for operating the same, an annular rack located'adjacent the upper part of the trackway, a frame supporting said rack, a gear'connected with said trackway and in mesh with saidA rack, means to admit cars to the'lower portion ofthe trackway,rmeans to receive ycars from the upper portion of the trackway, and means to transmit cars therefrom to a lower point.

7. An amusementk apparatusl comprising a spirally disposed-trackway maintained at anangleto the vertical, means for pivotally supporting said trackway at the lower part, means for rotating said trackway upon its axis, a guide adjacent the upper part of the trackway within which the latter is adapted to revolve, means for causing said trackway to have bodily movement around and within said guide, means to admit cars to the lower part of the trackway, means to receive cars from the upper portion of the trackway, and means to deliver cars therefrom to the lower part.

8. An amusement apparatus comprising a spirally disposed trackway maintained at an angle to the. vertical, meansfor pivotally supporting said trackway at the lower part,

e13,243 es means for rotating said trackway upon its and a track leading from said platform to axis, a guide adjacent the upper part of the a lower point. trackway within which the latter is adapted Signed at New York city, in the county to revolve, means for causing said trackway of New York, and State of New York, this 5 to have odily movement around and within 5th day of J une, A. D. 1908.

said ui e, means to admit cars to the lower part got the trackway, a platform at the MAX R' C SONNTAG' upper part of the trackway over which the Witnesses: upper end of the trackway is adapted to RALPH H. RAPHAEL, 10 pass during its axial and bodily movement, T. F. BOURNE. 

